The Full Moon Walkers (2023) — Original Surrealist Painting by Jolanta Talaikiene

Are the sheep becoming human, or are we becoming sheep?

The Full Moon Walkers is a 2023 original acrylic painting on canvas by Jolanta Talaikiene, a Lithuanian-American symbolist painter based in New Jersey. Measuring 30 × 24 inches (76.2 × 61 cm), it shows a ruler in a rabbit mask leading a flock of sheep with human faces under a moon-shaped balloon, while a small girl holding an egg watches from the side.

The story behind the painting

“This is a rather pessimistic vision of our world, where the instinct to follow the herd is still deeply rooted in people. Among the sheep there are human faces. Are the sheep finally becoming human, or are humans degrading into sheep? I leave the answer to the viewer.”

“The little girl with the egg is the growing generation, watching the world that will shape how they understand it. Everything is balanced on an edge. Still, I hope for a future World of Light.”

Symbols in The Full Moon Walkers

The rabbit-masked ruler: limited intellect and primitive survival instinct

The sheep with human faces: the herd instinct in people

The girl with the egg: the next generation, still deciding

The bubble-blowing fish: empty talk and empty promises

The moon balloon: a ruler of everything who does not see that it is hollow

The dark lighthouse: waiting for a miracle